Process for the manufacture of hydrogen



7 after th to convert said salt Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DE BA'IAAISCHE PETROLEUM MAATSGHAPPIJ', OF THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HYDROGEN No Drawing. Original application filed June 8, 1928, Serial No. 369,583,211111 in the Netherlands July 5, 1928. Divided and this application filed November 18, 1930. Serial No. 495,531.

This application is a division of my co- Serial Number 369,533, filed June 8, 1929, relating to the manufacture of a nickel catalyst in a finely divlded state for the catalytic manufacture of hydrogen from a mixture of water-vapour and a hydrocarbon. The process consists in treating a nickel salt with a solution, which tends into nickel hydroxide, and further reducing the hydroxide to nickel by treating it with hydrogen. It is essentially characterized in that less than the theoretisal quantity of the aforesaid solution is use It is known that hydrocarbons may be converted into hydrogen by heating them together with water-vapour in the presence of a catalyst. Thus, for instance, methane is convertedinto hydrogen according to the equation A well-known catalyst for the above reaction is nickel, which is generally prepared by converting an aqueous nickel salt solution, for instance a solution of nickel nitrate by means of sodium hydroxide or the like Into nickel hydroxide, which is further reduced to nickel by heating it in a stream of hydroen. g The conversion into nickel hydroxide, which often 0 ts in the presence of a carrier, such as grained porous stone, silica gel and the like. As a result the nickel hydroxide is precipitated on the carrier, wheresuitable e carrier together with the nickel hydroxide is heated in a stream of hydrogen, so that after the reduction the nickel is finely divided on the carrier.

I have now found that the conversion of hydrocarbons into hydrogen in the manner described above is considerably improved when using the catalyst described in my copending application Serial Number 369,533, the manufacture of which isessentially characterized i? t1that less than the theoretical quantit o l e nt for reci itat' the nickel YdI'OfidBfi'llBQd. p mg Ereci itates from the solutions, is-

Example 40 grammes nickel nitrate aq.) is dissolved in 600 cc. water.

This solution, into which, if necessary, the carrier can be put, is heated to about 40 centigrade and, while being stirred, is precipitated with about 200 cc. of 5% NaOH solution in such amanner that the green colour of the dissolved nickel salt is still clearly Ni No.).6

perceptible.

ThlS is followed by filtering and washing, first with hot then with cold water.

The product obtained is reduced with hydrogen at 350 C. I

If necessary the nickel catalyst can be applied together with a promoter. The oxides of vanadium, chromium, potassium, magnesium and aluminium are mentioned as examples of promoters as shown by United States patelnggo Williams N 0. 1,673,032, dated June With this catalyst, methane is converted with 2.1 times an excess of steam.

With 18 cc. contact volume (i. e. the apparent volume occupied by the catalyst) and a methane speed of 600 cc. per hour, b conducting the gas one time over the cata yst at 650 centigrade a gas mixture is obtained which, after condensation of the water and absor tion of the carbon dioxide, contains 72.4 o h drogen.

What T claim is process of manufacturin hydrogen by heating a mixture of hydrocar on and water vapour, in the presence of a nickel catalyst which 1s prepared by treating a nickel salt with less than the theoretical quantity of a solution which tends to convert said salt into nickel hydroxide and further reducin the hydroxide to nic e1 by treating it witl hydrogen.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

JAN AL. 

